no, he doesn't. i get it, though, time marches on, origins get replaced, memories fade. we could say the same for tarzan, namor, buck rogers, flash gordon, zorro.... every now and then we honour the past, but it's not *our* past. i'm 50, and even i only have tenuous connections to it mostly based on cassette tapes of old radio shows my mom would get me as a kid.
"I was once like you. A killer treating every victim as an unimportant part of my past. Now my past haunts me and your victims beg me to avenge them. Your death will be their justice, your punishment and my redemption."
Also look up the character the Black Bat. I was surprised on how much DC plagiarized, since they sued everyone and their moma for copyright infringement.
The magnificent creep Black Bat 1933, first appearance was 1939, Batman 1939. Bill Finger admitted to copying the Black Bat's gauntlets. It's pretty sad, but Batman is still my favorite character although he's pretty much plagiarized multiple characters.
The Shadow's got better ways of dealing with criminal scum than Batman. Batman lets them live while the Shadow fills them full of lead and sends them back to the hell from whence they came!
Well, at least in the earlier radio plays, The Shadow was way more tempered in his justice. I mean, he would still off someone, but he tended to give them an out and the villian tefusing that out is what actually does them in. In fact I like that general tone better, he’ll still put someone down if its necessary, but he will give them a chance first before that. keeps it gritty, but not overly edgy.
@laverdadescatolica5fair enough, however it can be said that he is defending the people of new York from this threat. I would say that batman's inaction has caused more deaths than the shadow's actions.
The Shadow and the original Captain Marvel (Shazam) both have some of the biggest turn from fame and importance in their media to almost complete irrelevancy to anyone that is not in the media itself.
As a Batman fan I just wanted to close my ears and say "I'M NOT HEARING YOU RAZORFIST! YOU'RE WRONG! LA LA LA LA LA LA! But I can't. I just can't. Do you intend to hurt me Razorfist?!? DO YOU!
I liked the ALEC BALDWIN movie ... Watched it in cinema when it was first released years ago. That movie is what actually introduced me to THE SHADOW and even back then as a teenager, I could clearly see the SHADOW/BATMAN connection.
Oh my god DC. Look, I'm a huge Batman fan and born '98, but even I know the existence of the Shadow and you can't just freaking say that it's the most "original superhero ever!" when Shadow kicks a lot of ass without even the needs of peoples actually _seeing_ him and it's one of the most successful Radio Dramas of all time. Oh wait, this is the same DC that has an absolutely unhealthy Gary Stu-ing of Damian Wayne in three of his movies. They're rabid Batman fanboys at this point. Why even bother. If you're going to love Batman to the point of lying, get lost.
+appabend The problem with Batman is that's all DC cares about! Am I going crazy here in thinking that flaunting Batman as the baddest of the bad-asses definitely backfired on DC? I too am a fan of Batman, but lately it's getting ridiculous. Batman v. Superman is an obvious cash grab with Batman on the title, front and center. Contrary to what Doug Walker believes, he and every other positive of that movie he noted did NOT save that movie (urine in a jar?).
+Child0fVis0n I tried to tell everyone who was riding the Batman hype train that DC would sooner or later suffer a stagnation so great that it would screw them over hardcore. Guess what happened?
"A sort of breathing puppet gesture with no effort of personal involvement, While you cry that you're owed a living by the world" Christ. The Shadow just described a Bernie Sanders voter.
It's a tremendous shame that in this era of superhero over-saturation that this character still has not been given his proper due despite being not only the progenitor of so much of the genre, but a cut above in overall quality to about 95% of superheroes in general to this day.
+SevenRiders Apparently The Phantom has it worse. I mean if look up so info the character's had more comics in other parts of the world than in his home country. Now don't get me wrong I'm fully aware of Phantom 2040, (The 90's animated show where the 24th Phantom discovers his heritage and destiny and fights the future corporation of Maximum Inc. in the city of Metropia which is New York. Great show in my mind and wish it had a longer life. If it had to end it could have at least ended at 40 episodes just for the novelty with the subtitle. Also the video game on SNES and Genesis even though I've never played but it looks great.) The film of course, the mini series from 2009, and his appearance in Defenders of the Earth plus his comics from Dynamite. The thing is the Phantom just can't seem to get a foothold here like he used to. Even when the license was at Marvel or DC it didn't last long. The Phantom set a lot of standards like were a costume and having white eyes and even being a hero from Africa before Black Panther if I'm recollecting right although I'm doing a little fact checking. I personally think the pulp heroes need a major thrust so that the kids today can appreciate where the superheroes of today came from.
@@Cynidecia the shadow would never be adapted faithfully or with any respect in current year unless it was a plucky “little independent film that could” like Dredd was a few years back. Gritty claustrophobic small scale and low budget.
To be fair it's better not though. Unless you want to see a Shadow preaching about white privilege and Lamont Crenston as a pansexual FtM African inuit.
If The Shadow wanted, I bet he could instill fear into The Batman. Although with what I have seen, there are very few heroes that are as old and successful as The Shadow through roughly a century.
+CWDTrixie - He kind of _does_ scare the shit out of Batman in said crossover. He keeps cackling in the distance just when criminals mysteriously get wasted, and Batman about shits his pants.
***** Okay, I want to see The Shadow do that to Batman in film/series. Personally though, I do like The Shadows style and badassness, few characters can remotely match that,
Okay, two things to say: 1. Does anyone else want to read and or hear about Razorfist's comics? I'm quite curious. 2. Did anyone else get a mindgasm when he read that little excerpt from The Shadow: In the Coils of the Leviathan?
"Tell it to the worms...". One sentence that sums up how the Shadow feels about his targets. Fuck the bat-boy; I am now, and will always be, on the side of The Shadow.
The 90's sure did have a lot of pulp comics adapted into celluloid, my favorite was and still is The Phantom. I mean it's about this long lineage of men that are superstitiously believed to be unkillable jungle gods, what's not to like?
A good friend of mine who got me into The Shadow recommended I watch this and I am damned pleased I did. I am an endless fan of The Shadow. He is my number one and will always be my number one! It amuses me to no end that I will go to a convention as The Shadow and Batman Cosplayers have NO IDEA who I am. I of course inform them whenever possible. It also does me no end of good to see so many other Pulp fans here in the comments section. I would love for you to do a few videos on your favorites of the pulp series as I have been reading through those like a madman and have only had one bad one so far. Thank you again for this video!
"It amuses me to no end that I will go to a convention as The Shadow and Batman Cosplayers have NO IDEA who I am." Tell them: "I'm your grandfather, you little punks!"
Grey Ghost strikes me more as an homage to the Crimson Avenger, who was himself a Shadow clone...and, yes, who found himself done in by Batman's popularity.
in my childhood i was a fan of darkwing duck, and i always think that it was inspired by batman, until i see your vídeos and become so obvious that, at least the design, was inspired by the shadow. Thanks to introduce me into the. character.
Fun fact: in 5 years from now the shadow goes into then public domain, meaning anyone will be able to use him in there own story, whether for better or for worse. I for one think i could probably make a great story with the character
+justin 1982 I'm sure there are plenty of good stories to crib from, so they'll never lack for ideas. As long as they resist the temptation to inject their own personal tastes or beliefs into it, it could hardly fail to be awesome.
Hailing from Scandinavia, fortunately for us, they kept some of those non-DC/Marvel-comics alive. Fact of the matter is i don't think they even print Spiderman, Superman or Batman anymore. They do however still have The Phantom in shelves. And what a great comic-hero that is. Have read up on his status in the states and it seems to be a similiar situation to that of The Shadow, some comics here and there nothing with continuity. The Phantom over here, is on par with the other big superheroes in terms of popularity. The ghost who walks, still amazed with all this superhero-craze that has been going on for a decade, they still haven't done anything about some other superheroes with rich backgrounds, established villains and stories to pull from.
+Simon Palmquist I still see X-Men and Spiderman comics around here (Sweden), but outside of that, I don't think there's any "superhero" comics getting translated into Swedish. Other than that, it's The Phantom, Modesty Blaise, comedies (Garfield, Beetle Bailey, The Far Side, Marvin Meathead, etc) and Bamse. Really wonder why DC went away while Marvel appears to have stuck around, though...
I was quite sad to find in my local comic shop that the employees didn't know about The Shadow, despite the single comic book that seemed recent to be sitting in their catalog.
Have never forgotten about The Shadow. Loved that movie since I was a kid and read many many many pulp novels and comics when I was in the Navy. And also in San Diego when I was stationed there, I would listen to an old radio station that would play the old Shadow radio station. I haven't read one in year. I think I might start collecting again
dude. you fucking KILLED it. Shadow '94 was my introduction to the character and since, has become my go-to favorite hero. The mysticism, the mystery (Lamont Cranston? Kent Allard? maybe neither? WHO is the Shadow?!) and the agents, all so much more believable and relevant, no matter the time period. Continue to preach the good word brother. The sun is shining...
I've never actually listened to that much of The Shadow, though he's lurked in my subconscious since I was very young. He was actually used as a sort of warning against misdeeds by my grandfather; no matter how careful I thought I was in my wrongdoing, God and The Shadow would know, and there would be no escape from their wrath. As for pulp fiction in general, I've always enjoyed the Saint, though I haven't read enough to argue it's quality over this. I mean, good grief, this looks downright perfect. I must hunt these down first chance I get.
I have an audio cassette of the Shadow, Two episodes with one voiced by Orson Wells called Death from the deep. It was given to my Grandmother as a Birthday present.
that's why the shadow is my favorite "hero" (sure i love daredevil and the punisher too) I can relate to there desire to exact vengeance and justice in a very permanent way, and although the depth of my understanding of these characters is shallow at best its that quality that i love for me the only cure for people that destroy the very fabric of goodness is a gruesome fiery demise
I grew up in the listening to The Shadow radio program from the 40's and 50's that a local AM station would rebroadcast at nighttime. Love the shit outta that program.
As we approached the end of this video I realize that we need a Shadow series in the vein of The Punisher (Netflix), but with the true heart of what the Shadow is.
+Lynch85 Yeah the Bat cave was definitely ripped off from The Phantom, as far as I know, The Shadow doesn't have a "shadow cave". Also The Phantom > Batman.
+Aadolf The Shadow actually does have a Bat Cave. It's called 'The Sanctum'. Replete with English butler, even. The only difference being that it changes locations.
My grandfather introduced me to the Shadow. He used to listen to the radio show, when the Baldwin movie came out he rented it while he was babysitting me. I've loved this character ever since. I will always remember my grandfather doing his best Shadow impression. This character means the world to me. I cannot look at him without thinking of my grandfather. More people need to be exposed to the Shadow
About 25 years ago, I made a Shadow figure for the comic book store "Parts Unknown". It's still intact and on display along the wall along with other figures like "The Green Hornet", and a lot of others. If you're ever in Greensboro North Carolina, look up "Parts Unknown" and ask about the figures.
I am obssessed with the Shadow radio show! I understand why he was so popular in the 30s. Orson Welles personified The Shadow as an unbending force for justice. The crime. stories are gripping and engaging. The Shadow really deserves the spotlight and needs a comeback
Me and my dad used to listen re runs of the radio show while driving through the new mexico badlands in the wee hours of the morning. You cannot begin to comprehend how creepy that was.
Thank you for the recommendations. I grew up with The Shadow of the 70s and still have all the comics from that run, thanks to my dad who put me onto this character. I also picked up many of the books reprinted during that same time, and many of the radio shows on cassette (at that time). I was disappointed with the movie version, but *HOPE* one day the ORIGINAL "Dark Knight" will get his due on the big screen. This video was therefore FUN to watch for this older fan who has always held The Shadow in high regard.
+crossbones116 Start with Year One. Then give Grendel/The Shadow or the Garth Ennis ongoing Shadow comic a shot (Ennis tried to make Shadow into The Punisher, but leaves the book after a few issues, and the quality DRASTICALLY improves).
+crossbones116 - The Spider is in 'Masks', a team-up book with The Shadow, Zorro, Green Hornet and a few others... which started off great, but fell off the deep-end after the first couple issues. Still, the first issue - painted beautifully by Alex Ross - is a must-read. So much potential squandered.
I just Bought 28 issues of the "The shadow strikes" For a steal on ebay. I gave Battletech a shot and it wasn't really my thing but after you introduced me to the shadow he's become one of my favourite characters of all time. I can't get enough of his stories. Thanks a lot Razor.
dude, when i played kingdom of loathing, i'd listen to their online radio station. for a while, they'd play the shadow radio plays and holy fuck they were awesome.
+hatty hatington Incidentally, it's also why 'The Shadow' birthstone in Elder Scrolls confers the power of invisibility (one of Shadow's powers from the radio show). Someone at Bethesda clearly loves the shit out of The Shadow.
I'd rather see them do something origanal for once, they watered down my favourite series into nothing but "lol cultural references" and half assed stories
I hate to agree with razorfist but as a Batman fan since childhood razor is 100% correct. I’d go further and say Batman took a lot of from Zorro as well.
I stumbled into the Shadow when the movie dropped. I picked up some of the radio dramas on cassette. I loved how it was all done, and I would desperately love to see this character have his day in a bigger, badder, darker version closer to his origins.
Excellent commentary, very well researched. The amount of careful planning and effort clearly shows how much reverence you have for the character. Very well done.
Kgaz Yeah I see what you mean now, it's just at some point at his life things got weird. You heard of The Spirit movie? That was directed by him and it ain't pretty.
... that moment when you realize a 20- something, Metal loving Rage Lord on TH-cam has something in common with your 72 year old retired school teacher mother who's married to a midwestern pastor... I have now seen it all lol
I am italian, born and always lived here, i was born in the late '70s, when the Shadow was forgotten in a country that never ever heard mention of him even in his prime... And i LOVE the Shadow
Well Razor, I have to thank you for doing The Shadow so much justice that I’ve started exploring the older radio recordings just to start from The Shadow’s beginnings.
I discovered The Shadow as a kid with the movie that "by chance" was aired in just one theater in my city and man, even if I could tell as a kid that the second half of the movie was not so good (a very bad vilain), the first part was killer. The guy hide better than Batman, he was so badass and had two guns. It's the first time I see someone talk about him and the best is that you know him better than me and going to teach me a lot. Great man !!
Wait, The Shadow is Lamont Cranston? Pretty sure it's Kent Allard, WW1 ace (or spy, if you go with Dynamite). Lamont Cranston is either a) an identity he took from the real Lamont Cranston or b) He made Cranston from the ground up
I thoroughly enjoyed your show. Normally I don't do comments, but I just wanted to say good work and I hope you make videos forever. Thank you for your hard work.
I've always been a huge fan of The Shadow and have watched the movie with Alec Baldwin almost yearly since I was a kid. Love that movie and love the atmosphere of Shadow.
Been listening , causally, to tapes of the radio show since I was a child but never knew just how massive the universe was. Cheers for showing me this rabbit hole
The shadow in pulps was the best. The Serial with Victor Jory had it's moments. The radio, comics (Dynamite at least, can't say from the others) and the Alec Baldwin flick are wasted (mostly for bad writing in all the previously mentioned mediums). The radio series was the weakest link that spawned the others after. Any reboots or future adaptation should start from scratch based only on the pulps (and perhaps delete Margo Lane in the process, or revamp her completely).
I bought The Shadow strikes on your recommendation, the first issue was literally the only Shadow content I could find in Australia. Hopefully I can get a hold of the others so I can see where the story goes.
I had never actually heard about the shadow, but I got curious about the character after the silver shroud quest line in fallout 4. I knew it had to be referencing something, and when I looked into what that thing was, I discovered this gem of a character. I've been reading, watching, and listening to everything I could find on the character since. Thanks for this list Razor, it points me in the right direction, and I guess I should also thank whichever Bethesda writer had enough of a hardon for the Shadow to create that quest line.
The Shadow: Year One. You'll get more out of it if you're already familiar with the Pulps and other comics, but it works as an introduction to the character, as well.
As a child, my only exposure/knowledge of the Shadow was through Don Bluth's All Dogs Go to Heaven (in the scene that Charlie and Ann-Marie bring orphaned puppies pizza they were listening to a radio broadcast of the Shadow).
In the '70s, my Mom would get old radio shows on tape. She wanted us to experience what she had; the family sitting around a radio listening to it together. At first we didn't care. We had some toys or coloring books to keep us entertained, but within a few minutes of Baby Snooks, we forgot about how boring it was supposed to be. From Baby Snooks through Fiber McGee and Molly, Amos and Andy, to War of the Worlds, our imaginations fueled some great nights. The Shadow was my favorite. I couldn't get enough of the whiskey voice of the narrator, or his ability to deal out justice. It's because of him that I feel many forms of vengeance are justice. This entire rant was cool. Then you top it off by playing Queensryche; a band whose bassist, Eddie Jackson, lived next to us while we listened to The Shadow. This wasn't just a trip down memory lane, but a boulevard of recollection where the good shoves the bad reminiscences down, and uses their corpses to fill in any of the potholes I may have encountered in my morose musings turning them into one of the best days that I've had in a while. Thank you. God speed.
Love the direction your channel is going. I didn't know shit about The Shadow beforehand. But this video whetted my appetite for somethng I've been ling awaiting from your channel. Before, you've mentioned your love for film noire, and you seem to hint at a vast knowledge of the genre. I'm pretty uneducated on noire, but I've been wanting to get immersed for some time. I'd love to get a Razorfist starter-kit of noire one of these days. Godspeed.
When I was a kid, my dad would get radio episodes on cassette from the library and we would turn out the lights, light up some candles and listen to these, along with The Lone Ranger, Life of Riley, Inner Sanctum and others. Always a good time.
I gotta say, ive never picked up any Shadow comics, but im gonna get into this shit. Never knew how much i was missing. And topping it off with some CLASSIC Queensryche was pure class.
If you are new to pulp era hero's Doc Savage is another character worth checking out. So is The Phantom. But, like The Shadow, the comics and novels based on Savage and Phantom is really hit or miss.
Batman isn't a straight-plagiarism of The Shadow! He's a composite plagiarism of Dr. Syn/Scarecrow, Zorro, The Shadow, The Phantom Detective, The Bat, The Black Bat (that's right, a whole TWO Bat-themed Masked Vigilantes predate him) and The Phantom, with lesser amounts of The Spider, Green Hornet & Kato (if for no other reason, the advent of the Sidekick in Robin, but also gadgets and theme-based vehicle) and debatably The Clock peppered in. Not to mention the influence of the 1926 Mystery Silent Film The Bat, based on the Play The Bat from Braodway 6 years earlier, the Scarlet Pimpernel Novels (rich guy, master of disguise, secretly fighting against corruption and the like) and the fact that Batman was created straight-up to capitalize on the success of Superman's Comic just a few months before the debut - and right down to the need for a cape in the Character-Design, Batman was just supposed to be the next Superman, albeit without Super-Powers. BOOM! for the record though, I am a Batman fan so no hatred there, just pointing out facts. And moving away from that, and back to the actual content of this video, The Shadow kicks ass! Always has :)
My Grandma used to listen to the radio show back in the day. My dad read the comics. My brother owned the cassettes and now has them on digital. Shadow is a little bit of a family tradition.
The Shadow existed in the pulps (later reprinted in books), radio show, movies and movie serials, newspaper strips, comic book, and Big Little Books. His creator, Walter Gibson wrote most of the pulps, many of the comic books and the newspaper strip. I've posted on several of his aspects on my blog, including the comics.
Just a thought.... would anyone else like the idea of radio dramas coming back, with new stories? I kinda had this thought ages ago when I played through Fallout 3 with the "adventures of Herbert "daring" Dashwood, and his stalwart ghoul manservant Argyl."
+Overthane - They are, actually. There's been a resurgence, particularly on TH-cam. With the affordability of decent mics and recording software, some are even staggeringly professional. In addition, 'New Pulps' have recently made a comeback. Some even featuring The Shadow.
now that you mention it Razor... I am Subbed to MrCreepypasta, CreepsMcPasta, and Creepypasta Jr. they all to rather well with the readings of various creepypasta.
![ลองสุ่มไอโฟน 990 โกงมั้ย? [ โกงมั้ยครับ ep.101 ] | DOM](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/bfsWe0j492k/mqdefault.jpg)
the shadow does not get the respect he deserves
Robert Weber no respect at all!
You should see the 2017 miniseries... That's truly a proof that the character doesn't get the respect that deserves :/
TRUTH!
no, he doesn't. i get it, though, time marches on, origins get replaced, memories fade. we could say the same for tarzan, namor, buck rogers, flash gordon, zorro.... every now and then we honour the past, but it's not *our* past. i'm 50, and even i only have tenuous connections to it mostly based on cassette tapes of old radio shows my mom would get me as a kid.
@@ryanbarker5217 yeah its just frustrating especially considering the HUGE impact the Shadow has had on comics.
"I was once like you.
A killer treating every victim as an unimportant part of my past.
Now my past haunts me and your victims beg me to avenge them.
Your death will be their justice, your punishment and my redemption."
Nice to see that Batman plagerizing The Shadow is an undisputed fact.
only at the start with twin handguns they made him different later on
Gripping at straws, there, huh?
Meaning they made more like Dare Devil.
Also look up the character the Black Bat. I was surprised on how much DC plagiarized, since they sued everyone and their moma for copyright infringement.
The magnificent creep Black Bat 1933, first appearance was 1939, Batman 1939. Bill Finger admitted to copying the Black Bat's gauntlets. It's pretty sad, but Batman is still my favorite character although he's pretty much plagiarized multiple characters.
The Shadow's got better ways of dealing with criminal scum than Batman. Batman lets them live while the Shadow fills them full of lead and sends them back to the hell from whence they came!
Well, at least in the earlier radio plays, The Shadow was way more tempered in his justice. I mean, he would still off someone, but he tended to give them an out and the villian tefusing that out is what actually does them in.
In fact I like that general tone better, he’ll still put someone down if its necessary, but he will give them a chance first before that. keeps it gritty, but not overly edgy.
And you never knew he was there, till it was too late
Killing people isn't Christian? LOL you don't know your religious history
@laverdadescatolica5fair enough, however it can be said that he is defending the people of new York from this threat. I would say that batman's inaction has caused more deaths than the shadow's actions.
The Shadow and the original Captain Marvel (Shazam) both have some of the biggest turn from fame and importance in their media to almost complete irrelevancy to anyone that is not in the media itself.
+bazz From what I understand, the original Captain Marvel blew DC titles away considerably sales-wise in its day, which was a massive feat back then.
yep, also Cap was the first superhero that was able to fly, superman didn't started to fly until the Fleischer animated shorts.
As a Batman fan I just wanted to close my ears and say "I'M NOT HEARING YOU RAZORFIST! YOU'RE WRONG! LA LA LA LA LA LA!
But I can't.
I just can't.
Do you intend to hurt me Razorfist?!? DO YOU!
+Empirewild The ones who've hurt you go by the name "DC Comics". 75+ years worth of pain.
I liked the ALEC BALDWIN movie ...
Watched it in cinema when it was first released years ago. That movie is what actually introduced me to THE SHADOW and even back then as a teenager, I could clearly see the SHADOW/BATMAN connection.
+VL VIDEOS - It's a great flick. Some issues with tone here and there, but visually brilliant. From the same guy who directed Highlander.
+VL VIDEOS That's where I got into The Shadow too. Pretty good movie, as it happens.
I am so glad to see that The Shadow is still alive and well in the hearts and minds of fans today.
The Shadow will always be the first badass.
Oh my god DC. Look, I'm a huge Batman fan and born '98, but even I know the existence of the Shadow and you can't just freaking say that it's the most "original superhero ever!" when Shadow kicks a lot of ass without even the needs of peoples actually _seeing_ him and it's one of the most successful Radio Dramas of all time.
Oh wait, this is the same DC that has an absolutely unhealthy Gary Stu-ing of Damian Wayne in three of his movies. They're rabid Batman fanboys at this point. Why even bother. If you're going to love Batman to the point of lying, get lost.
+appabend The problem with Batman is that's all DC cares about! Am I going crazy here in thinking that flaunting Batman as the baddest of the bad-asses definitely backfired on DC? I too am a fan of Batman, but lately it's getting ridiculous. Batman v. Superman is an obvious cash grab with Batman on the title, front and center. Contrary to what Doug Walker believes, he and every other positive of that movie he noted did NOT save that movie (urine in a jar?).
+Child0fVis0n I tried to tell everyone who was riding the Batman hype train that DC would sooner or later suffer a stagnation so great that it would screw them over hardcore. Guess what happened?
+Child0fVis0n To be fair, people started giving a shit about heroes because of Batman (whether people liked the series or not).
+Child0fVis0n Technically it was Spiderman being with Sony that helped pushed superhero movies. The Nolan series helped pushed it even further.
No.
"A sort of breathing puppet gesture with no effort of personal involvement,
While you cry that you're owed a living by the world"
Christ. The Shadow just described a Bernie Sanders voter.
Hell, any liberal in the history of ever.
YEAH
You're in the comic book section, leave your stupid politics at the door.
Don't tell me what to do numbnuts.
@@ceecirice9628nah, just the last half century.
Before that they just decided to try to take over the world
It's a tremendous shame that in this era of superhero over-saturation that this character still has not been given his proper due despite being not only the progenitor of so much of the genre, but a cut above in overall quality to about 95% of superheroes in general to this day.
+SevenRiders Apparently The Phantom has it worse. I mean if look up so info the character's had more comics in other parts of the world than in his home country.
Now don't get me wrong I'm fully aware of Phantom 2040, (The 90's animated show where the 24th Phantom discovers his heritage and destiny and fights the future corporation of Maximum Inc. in the city of Metropia which is New York. Great show in my mind and wish it had a longer life. If it had to end it could have at least ended at 40 episodes just for the novelty with the subtitle. Also the video game on SNES and Genesis even though I've never played but it looks great.) The film of course, the mini series from 2009, and his appearance in Defenders of the Earth plus his comics from Dynamite.
The thing is the Phantom just can't seem to get a foothold here like he used to. Even when the license was at Marvel or DC it didn't last long.
The Phantom set a lot of standards like were a costume and having white eyes and even being a hero from Africa before Black Panther if I'm recollecting right although I'm doing a little fact checking.
I personally think the pulp heroes need a major thrust so that the kids today can appreciate where the superheroes of today came from.
Better forgotten than desecrated as of writing.
@@Cynidecia the shadow would never be adapted faithfully or with any respect in current year unless it was a plucky “little independent film that could” like Dredd was a few years back. Gritty claustrophobic small scale and low budget.
@@bloodlinefilms agreed. hopefully it will remain forgotten until times change enough that a adaptation would be good.
To be fair it's better not though. Unless you want to see a Shadow preaching about white privilege and Lamont Crenston as a pansexual FtM African inuit.
If The Shadow wanted, I bet he could instill fear into The Batman. Although with what I have seen, there are very few heroes that are as old and successful as The Shadow through roughly a century.
+CWDTrixie - He kind of _does_ scare the shit out of Batman in said crossover. He keeps cackling in the distance just when criminals mysteriously get wasted, and Batman about shits his pants.
***** Okay, I want to see The Shadow do that to Batman in film/series. Personally though, I do like The Shadows style and badassness, few characters can remotely match that,
Batman is merely a copy
Okay, two things to say:
1. Does anyone else want to read and or hear about Razorfist's comics? I'm quite curious.
2. Did anyone else get a mindgasm when he read that little excerpt from The Shadow: In the Coils of the Leviathan?
Razor fist has voiced audio books and had released some fantasy books now
"Tell it to the worms...". One sentence that sums up how the Shadow feels about his targets. Fuck the bat-boy; I am now, and will always be, on the side of The Shadow.
@happy little trees 239 Pity for the brute is brutality those in need of pity.
Clearly a Darkwing Duck parody....
I am the terror who flaps in the night! I am the little roller-skate at the bottom of villainies staircase! I am DARKWING DUCK!
You mean Darkwing is a parody of the Shadow.
@@jordentaylor2455 yeah no shit sherlock
@@jordentaylor2455thatsthejoke.jpg
The 90's sure did have a lot of pulp comics adapted into celluloid, my favorite was and still is The Phantom. I mean it's about this long lineage of men that are superstitiously believed to be unkillable jungle gods, what's not to like?
Good taste! You don't find the Phantom, tue Phantom finds YOU
Bob Kane was a scoundrel and he showed little regard or credit to his own co creator Bill Finger, let alone The Shadow
This
A good friend of mine who got me into The Shadow recommended I watch this and I am damned pleased I did. I am an endless fan of The Shadow. He is my number one and will always be my number one! It amuses me to no end that I will go to a convention as The Shadow and Batman Cosplayers have NO IDEA who I am. I of course inform them whenever possible. It also does me no end of good to see so many other Pulp fans here in the comments section. I would love for you to do a few videos on your favorites of the pulp series as I have been reading through those like a madman and have only had one bad one so far. Thank you again for this video!
"It amuses me to no end that I will go to a convention as The Shadow and Batman Cosplayers have NO IDEA who I am."
Tell them: "I'm your grandfather, you little punks!"
found out that the Grey ghost from the batman animated series i watch as a kid was tribute to The shadow. huh the more you know o-o
Not only that, The Shadow once fought a villain named, you guessed it... The Gray Ghost.
thelivingshadow.wikia.com/wiki/Shadow_Magazine_Vol_1_101
Sadly we have yet to get a movie to do The Shadow justice. But maybe it will happen like it did with Judge Dredd with the 2016 Dredd movie.
Grey Ghost strikes me more as an homage to the Crimson Avenger, who was himself a Shadow clone...and, yes, who found himself done in by Batman's popularity.
I thought the Gray Ghost was Lee Falks original name for The Phantom...maybe I'm wrong.
in my childhood i was a fan of darkwing duck, and i always think that it was inspired by batman, until i see your vídeos and become so obvious that, at least the design, was inspired by the shadow. Thanks to introduce me into the. character.
Fun fact: in 5 years from now the shadow goes into then public domain, meaning anyone will be able to use him in there own story, whether for better or for worse. I for one think i could probably make a great story with the character
I can't imagine anyone writing a worse story than the book James Patterson put out.
Come on netflix lets get a shadow series
+justin 1982 I second that motion
+justin 1982 I'm sure there are plenty of good stories to crib from, so they'll never lack for ideas. As long as they resist the temptation to inject their own personal tastes or beliefs into it, it could hardly fail to be awesome.
+handsomebrick That depends, is the rights owned by FOX? Seriously, those guys inject their political beliefs in everything they own.
And a Conan series and a Judge Dredd series with Karl Urban
+Child0fVis0n Just saying how it is, man.
Hailing from Scandinavia, fortunately for us, they kept some of those non-DC/Marvel-comics alive. Fact of the matter is i don't think they even print Spiderman, Superman or Batman anymore.
They do however still have The Phantom in shelves. And what a great comic-hero that is. Have read up on his status in the states and it seems to be a similiar situation to that of The Shadow, some comics here and there nothing with continuity.
The Phantom over here, is on par with the other big superheroes in terms of popularity. The ghost who walks, still amazed with all this superhero-craze that has been going on for a decade, they still haven't done anything about some other superheroes with rich backgrounds, established villains and stories to pull from.
+Simon Palmquist I still see X-Men and Spiderman comics around here (Sweden), but outside of that, I don't think there's any "superhero" comics getting translated into Swedish. Other than that, it's The Phantom, Modesty Blaise, comedies (Garfield, Beetle Bailey, The Far Side, Marvin Meathead, etc) and Bamse.
Really wonder why DC went away while Marvel appears to have stuck around, though...
Of course Scandinavia gets all the GOOD comics
I was quite sad to find in my local comic shop that the employees didn't know about The Shadow, despite the single comic book that seemed recent to be sitting in their catalog.
Have never forgotten about The Shadow. Loved that movie since I was a kid and read many many many pulp novels and comics when I was in the Navy. And also in San Diego when I was stationed there, I would listen to an old radio station that would play the old Shadow radio station. I haven't read one in year. I think I might start collecting again
Would you say The Shadow was influenced by Zorro. The Spectre is another character I wish was given more respect.
+nickcerantonio The Spectre in the 90s was awesome.
@Corvo@AZ that was inspired by Scarlet pimpernel
dude. you fucking KILLED it. Shadow '94 was my introduction to the character and since, has become my go-to favorite hero. The mysticism, the mystery (Lamont Cranston? Kent Allard? maybe neither? WHO is the Shadow?!) and the agents, all so much more believable and relevant, no matter the time period.
Continue to preach the good word brother.
The sun is shining...
I've never actually listened to that much of The Shadow, though he's lurked in my subconscious since I was very young. He was actually used as a sort of warning against misdeeds by my grandfather; no matter how careful I thought I was in my wrongdoing, God and The Shadow would know, and there would be no escape from their wrath. As for pulp fiction in general, I've always enjoyed the Saint, though I haven't read enough to argue it's quality over this. I mean, good grief, this looks downright perfect. I must hunt these down first chance I get.
I have an audio cassette of the Shadow, Two episodes with one voiced by Orson Wells called Death from the deep. It was given to my Grandmother as a Birthday present.
Nice to know I wasn't the only one dressing up as The Shadow as a kid.
Ha! I did the same in the 70s, even though my mom (God bless her) had to MAKE my broad-brimmed fedora and cloak.
that's why the shadow is my favorite "hero" (sure i love daredevil and the punisher too)
I can relate to there desire to exact vengeance and justice in a very permanent way, and although the depth of my understanding of these characters is shallow at best its that quality that i love
for me the only cure for people that destroy the very fabric of goodness is a gruesome fiery demise
I grew up in the listening to The Shadow radio program from the 40's and 50's that a local AM station would rebroadcast at nighttime. Love the shit outta that program.
As we approached the end of this video I realize that we need a Shadow series in the vein of The Punisher (Netflix), but with the true heart of what the Shadow is.
The Shadow 1941 has been reissued by Dynamite in 2013.
As a kid I thought Batman was ripped off of The Phantom. (Bat cave, Skull cave)
+Lynch85 Yeah the Bat cave was definitely ripped off from The Phantom, as far as I know, The Shadow doesn't have a "shadow cave". Also The Phantom > Batman.
+Aadolf The Shadow actually does have a Bat Cave. It's called 'The Sanctum'. Replete with English butler, even. The only difference being that it changes locations.
***** I stand corrected
I just wanted to thank you. I saw this video a year ago and since then the shadow became one of my favorite characters.
I'm glad you share this, we need to keep this alive. The Pulps are amazing and sadly not as well known as they should be.
My grandfather introduced me to the Shadow. He used to listen to the radio show, when the Baldwin movie came out he rented it while he was babysitting me. I've loved this character ever since. I will always remember my grandfather doing his best Shadow impression.
This character means the world to me. I cannot look at him without thinking of my grandfather. More people need to be exposed to the Shadow
They really need to collect The Shadow Strikes into a nice trade.
Couldn't agree more. Hands-down the best Shadow series there ever was.
Well Dynamite did reprint the first DC run recently, So they may do Strikes next.
Lol, Batman original. They just ripped off Sherlock Holmes, Dracula, The Shadow and maybe The Phantom. Literally least original character ever.
About 25 years ago, I made a Shadow figure for the comic book store "Parts Unknown". It's still intact and on display along the wall along with other figures like "The Green Hornet", and a lot of others. If you're ever in Greensboro North Carolina, look up "Parts Unknown" and ask about the figures.
So glad I am not the only one that thinks The Shadow is getting the short end of the stick and thinks he is a fantastic hero.
I am obssessed with the Shadow radio show! I understand why he was so popular in the 30s. Orson Welles personified The Shadow as an unbending force for justice. The crime. stories are gripping and engaging. The Shadow really deserves the spotlight and needs a comeback
I can't, I repeat, CAN'T stop listening to the radio drama! Dammit Razor! I'm hooked on Shadow!
Me and my dad used to listen re runs of the radio show while driving through the new mexico badlands in the wee hours of the morning. You cannot begin to comprehend how creepy that was.
Thank you for the recommendations. I grew up with The Shadow of the 70s and still have all the comics from that run, thanks to my dad who put me onto this character. I also picked up many of the books reprinted during that same time, and many of the radio shows on cassette (at that time). I was disappointed with the movie version, but *HOPE* one day the ORIGINAL "Dark Knight" will get his due on the big screen. This video was therefore FUN to watch for this older fan who has always held The Shadow in high regard.
So glad to see The Shadow getting more public attention. Thanks for this bud, you did a fantastic job.
Green Hornet/Shadow: Dark Knights was fucking awesome. Now all I need is to read more of Dynamite's output.
+crossbones116 Start with Year One. Then give Grendel/The Shadow or the Garth Ennis ongoing Shadow comic a shot (Ennis tried to make Shadow into The Punisher, but leaves the book after a few issues, and the quality DRASTICALLY improves).
+The Rageaholic I've yet to find an Ennis book I've actually liked, so I'm not wholly surprised. Is 'The Spider'-related content any good?
+crossbones116 - The Spider is in 'Masks', a team-up book with The Shadow, Zorro, Green Hornet and a few others... which started off great, but fell off the deep-end after the first couple issues. Still, the first issue - painted beautifully by Alex Ross - is a must-read. So much potential squandered.
Wasn't that the one where margo became a lesbian?
I just Bought 28 issues of the "The shadow strikes" For a steal on ebay. I gave Battletech a shot and it wasn't really my thing but after you introduced me to the shadow he's become one of my favourite characters of all time. I can't get enough of his stories. Thanks a lot Razor.
I wish the Shadow pulp novels could be reissued as e-books.
dude, when i played kingdom of loathing, i'd listen to their online radio station.
for a while, they'd play the shadow radio plays and holy fuck they were awesome.
Razor, I love it when you talk about comics. I BEG OF YOU TO MAKE MORE VIDEOS LIKE THIS.
The shadow knows..... AHAHHAHAHAHHA *disappears with a cape swoosh*
oooh...so thats where Bethesda stole The Silver Shroud from
+hatty hatington Incidentally, it's also why 'The Shadow' birthstone in Elder Scrolls confers the power of invisibility (one of Shadow's powers from the radio show). Someone at Bethesda clearly loves the shit out of The Shadow.
+The Rageaholic
They've got good taste, whoever they are.
At least they have good taste when they steal ideas.
Great video by the way
+hatty hatington I would not call that stealing if it is so blatant it is more of a nod.
I'd rather see them do something origanal for once, they watered down my favourite series into nothing but "lol cultural references" and half assed stories
I hate to agree with razorfist but as a Batman fan since childhood razor is 100% correct. I’d go further and say Batman took a lot of from Zorro as well.
I stumbled into the Shadow when the movie dropped. I picked up some of the radio dramas on cassette. I loved how it was all done, and I would desperately love to see this character have his day in a bigger, badder, darker version closer to his origins.
Excellent commentary, very well researched. The amount of careful planning and effort clearly shows how much reverence you have for the character. Very well done.
Since first watching this back in '16, I think I've now listened to every Shadow radio episode on YT at least twice. Love them.
Goddamn Razor! You are on a roll with your comic reviews/recommendations. I will definitely be checking this material out when I have the time.
I am soooo very happy to see someone give this series justice! It damn well Deserves it!
What if Frank Miller did a comic or several on The Shadow?
The Shadow knows... Muahahahahaha
It will be sin city with the shadow ten out of ten perfect nine stats
No offense but I shudder at the idea.
Kgaz If there's anything from Frank's recent work has thought me is that his style is better off in Sin City and only Sin City.
Kgaz Yeah I see what you mean now, it's just at some point at his life things got weird. You heard of The Spirit movie? That was directed by him and it ain't pretty.
Well after seeing what he did to The Spirit...
An excellent overview of this great and criminally underrated character 🕵️
... that moment when you realize a 20- something, Metal loving Rage Lord on TH-cam has something in common with your 72 year old retired school teacher mother who's married to a midwestern pastor...
I have now seen it all lol
I am italian, born and always lived here, i was born in the late '70s, when the Shadow was forgotten in a country that never ever heard mention of him even in his prime... And i LOVE the Shadow
Razor, have you ever read The Phantom? Its another classic comic from the heyday of the pulp era. If you have, do you have any thoughts on it?
+Darkly Tranquil The Phantom is badass, I've been reading the 1966-1967 Phantom comic recently and it's boss
+Darkly Tranquil There's a really beautifully penciled take on the classic look-Phantom coming from a smaller publisher Hermes Press!
Read it and loved the artistic cartoon series it inspired dispite the stale voice acting it got that made me get the comics in the first place ^^
Shadow is not matching evil with evil as it is not evil to kill evil he is matching evil with retribution!
Love this. Fell in love with your reading of one of the novels. Hope you do more of them in the future.
Well Razor, I have to thank you for doing The Shadow so much justice that I’ve started exploring the older radio recordings just to start from The Shadow’s beginnings.
I discovered The Shadow as a kid with the movie that "by chance" was aired in just one theater in my city and man, even if I could tell as a kid that the second half of the movie was not so good (a very bad vilain), the first part was killer. The guy hide better than Batman, he was so badass and had two guns. It's the first time I see someone talk about him and the best is that you know him better than me and going to teach me a lot. Great man !!
Fucking love The Shadow
The sun is shining....
....but the ice is slippery
Wait, The Shadow is Lamont Cranston? Pretty sure it's Kent Allard, WW1 ace (or spy, if you go with Dynamite). Lamont Cranston is either a) an identity he took from the real Lamont Cranston or b) He made Cranston from the ground up
I thoroughly enjoyed your show. Normally I don't do comments, but I just wanted to say good work and I hope you make videos forever. Thank you for your hard work.
I listened to the the shadow serial in the early 80's. It was a single CD. I guess there were hundreds of hours that I didnt know existed.
I've always been a huge fan of The Shadow and have watched the movie with Alec Baldwin almost yearly since I was a kid. Love that movie and love the atmosphere of Shadow.
What a fantastic superhero theme. RIP Jerry Goldsmith.
Been listening , causally, to tapes of the radio show since I was a child but never knew just how massive the universe was. Cheers for showing me this rabbit hole
You sure do a good job selling the shadow as a character.
The shadow in pulps was the best. The Serial with Victor Jory had it's moments. The radio, comics (Dynamite at least, can't say from the others) and the Alec Baldwin flick are wasted (mostly for bad writing in all the previously mentioned mediums). The radio series was the weakest link that spawned the others after. Any reboots or future adaptation should start from scratch based only on the pulps (and perhaps delete Margo Lane in the process, or revamp her completely).
I honestly can't thank you enough for turning me in to this character! Easily one of my new favorites, I just can't get enough!
I bought The Shadow strikes on your recommendation, the first issue was literally the only Shadow content I could find in Australia. Hopefully I can get a hold of the others so I can see where the story goes.
Fond memories of sitting in front of the radio on a cold winter Montana night listening to, "who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?"
I had never actually heard about the shadow, but I got curious about the character after the silver shroud quest line in fallout 4. I knew it had to be referencing something, and when I looked into what that thing was, I discovered this gem of a character. I've been reading, watching, and listening to everything I could find on the character since. Thanks for this list Razor, it points me in the right direction, and I guess I should also thank whichever Bethesda writer had enough of a hardon for the Shadow to create that quest line.
Damn, you really made me want to read The Shadow. Which is the best starting point in your opinion?
The Shadow: Year One. You'll get more out of it if you're already familiar with the Pulps and other comics, but it works as an introduction to the character, as well.
@@TheRageaholic thank you.
As a child, my only exposure/knowledge of the Shadow was through Don Bluth's All Dogs Go to Heaven (in the scene that Charlie and Ann-Marie bring orphaned puppies pizza they were listening to a radio broadcast of the Shadow).
"Beg Satan for forgiveness. You'll not find it this side of Hell!" JFC that's hardcore. lol
In the '70s, my Mom would get old radio shows on tape. She wanted us to experience what she had; the family sitting around a radio listening to it together. At first we didn't care. We had some toys or coloring books to keep us entertained, but within a few minutes of Baby Snooks, we forgot about how boring it was supposed to be. From Baby Snooks through Fiber McGee and Molly, Amos and Andy, to War of the Worlds, our imaginations fueled some great nights.
The Shadow was my favorite. I couldn't get enough of the whiskey voice of the narrator, or his ability to deal out justice. It's because of him that I feel many forms of vengeance are justice.
This entire rant was cool. Then you top it off by playing Queensryche; a band whose bassist, Eddie Jackson, lived next to us while we listened to The Shadow. This wasn't just a trip down memory lane, but a boulevard of recollection where the good shoves the bad reminiscences down, and uses their corpses to fill in any of the potholes I may have encountered in my morose musings turning them into one of the best days that I've had in a while.
Thank you.
God speed.
Omg its the Silver Shroud.
Hope this becomes a new series (y)
Love the direction your channel is going. I didn't know shit about The Shadow beforehand. But this video whetted my appetite for somethng I've been ling awaiting from your channel. Before, you've mentioned your love for film noire, and you seem to hint at a vast knowledge of the genre. I'm pretty uneducated on noire, but I've been wanting to get immersed for some time. I'd love to get a Razorfist starter-kit of noire one of these days. Godspeed.
When I was a kid, my dad would get radio episodes on cassette from the library and we would turn out the lights, light up some candles and listen to these, along with The Lone Ranger, Life of Riley, Inner Sanctum and others. Always a good time.
I gotta say, ive never picked up any Shadow comics, but im gonna get into this shit. Never knew how much i was missing. And topping it off with some CLASSIC Queensryche was pure class.
If you are new to pulp era hero's Doc Savage is another character worth checking out. So is The Phantom. But, like The Shadow, the comics and novels based on Savage and Phantom is really hit or miss.
I'm thinking of doing some cosplay of the Shadow. Mr. Cranston seems pretty dope. Thanks for clarifying this awesome vigilante.
For reference, the Shadow's hat is closest to a slouch hat.
Why, thank you, dude
Batman isn't a straight-plagiarism of The Shadow! He's a composite plagiarism of Dr. Syn/Scarecrow, Zorro, The Shadow, The Phantom Detective, The Bat, The Black Bat (that's right, a whole TWO Bat-themed Masked Vigilantes predate him) and The Phantom, with lesser amounts of The Spider, Green Hornet & Kato (if for no other reason, the advent of the Sidekick in Robin, but also gadgets and theme-based vehicle) and debatably The Clock peppered in. Not to mention the influence of the 1926 Mystery Silent Film The Bat, based on the Play The Bat from Braodway 6 years earlier, the Scarlet Pimpernel Novels (rich guy, master of disguise, secretly fighting against corruption and the like) and the fact that Batman was created straight-up to capitalize on the success of Superman's Comic just a few months before the debut - and right down to the need for a cape in the Character-Design, Batman was just supposed to be the next Superman, albeit without Super-Powers. BOOM! for the record though, I am a Batman fan so no hatred there, just pointing out facts. And moving away from that, and back to the actual content of this video, The Shadow kicks ass! Always has :)
My Grandma used to listen to the radio show back in the day. My dad read the comics. My brother owned the cassettes and now has them on digital. Shadow is a little bit of a family tradition.
Nicely done! You did a great job covering the character! The Shadow is one of my favorites!
The Shadow existed in the pulps (later reprinted in books), radio show, movies and movie serials, newspaper strips, comic book, and Big Little Books. His creator, Walter Gibson wrote most of the pulps, many of the comic books and the newspaper strip.
I've posted on several of his aspects on my blog, including the comics.
Might I recommend, Dynamite's The Shadow: The Fires of Creation, as well as The shadow Annual #1.
Just a thought.... would anyone else like the idea of radio dramas coming back, with new stories? I kinda had this thought ages ago when I played through Fallout 3 with the "adventures of Herbert "daring" Dashwood, and his stalwart ghoul manservant Argyl."
+Overthane - They are, actually. There's been a resurgence, particularly on TH-cam. With the affordability of decent mics and recording software, some are even staggeringly professional. In addition, 'New Pulps' have recently made a comeback. Some even featuring The Shadow.
now that you mention it Razor... I am Subbed to MrCreepypasta, CreepsMcPasta, and Creepypasta Jr. they all to rather well with the readings of various creepypasta.